A single move of the Four Ghosts Salute conjured a sudden surge of yin wind.
It was Hu Ma's first time using this trump card without any reservation; it was utterly silent yet insidiously vicious, catching everyone off guard in a chilling instant, ensuring that no one could detect his presence.
After the salute, the entire forest seemed to be shrouded in the yin wind with flying sand and rolling stones, and faintly, the sound of ghosts wailing and wolves howling could be heard.
Hu Ma acted without hesitation, riding the wave of yin wind, using the Ghost Ascending Stairs technique, silently drifting into the forest like a specter.
In his hand, the saw-toothed knife was firmly gripped, akin to an Evil Ghost coming to claim lives.
Inside the forest, Godmother Cui and the others had all armed themselves, prepared for a life-and-death battle.
Wang Lai, the snake handler, grudgingly placed the two-headed snake on the ground, letting it bite him enough before it released its grip and slithered forward. He suppressed the black aura on his face, trembling as he fumbled through his clothes for a bottle of snake medicine to consume.
He muttered, "Wherever the crosshead snake appears, regardless of the feng shui, it's an evil land. Let's see how he goes about setting up the altar!"
Unexpectedly, just as he retrieved the snake medicine and put it into his mouth, a fierce yin wind suddenly arose around him.
He felt the sounds of ghostly wails and wolf howls filling his ears. Normally, thanks to his frequent consumption of snake gall, his eyesight was exceptional, allowing him to see even in pitch darkness.
But now, he only felt his vision blacking out, his heart feeling as if it was covered by a layer of icy dust, unable to see clearly.
He was in a daze, sitting stationary for a long while before finally regaining his senses.
And when he finally came to, the first thing he did was swallow the snake medicine in his mouth.
Unexpectedly, as the medicine slid down, he felt something roll from his throat, landing in front of him.
Looking down, he saw it was the black snake medicine pill.
Only then did Wang Lai realize something. He hastily reached for his neck, only to find a massive gash.
When did someone kill me?
This strange question floated to the forefront of his mind, but he could no longer shout.
His body lost strength and collapsed heavily onto the ground.
"This wind is peculiar, watch out..."
In the woods, the other three were shouting warnings, but with Hu Ma already in the forest and close at hand, there was no way he would be courteous. With one swift move, he slit the snake handler's throat, then immediately wielded his knife and advanced.
The first thing he saw was the craftsman kowtowing towards the Magic Altar.
His heart lurched. Could the power of the Magic Altar have dissipated because of this craftsman's kowtowing?
Damn it, I knew kowtowing was never a good thing in this world!
Thinking this, he swung the saw-toothed knife, chopping toward the head of the kowtowing craftsman. Approaching from the side, with the craftsman bowing towards the altar, the angle seemed perfect.
However, the craftsman, despite being dazed by the Four Ghosts Salute, was highly sensitive to his surroundings. The moment Hu Ma neared, he sensed it. He whirled around to see Wang Lai sprawled on the ground and Hu Ma rushing at him with a knife.
Startled, he forgot about kowtowing and hastily pulled out a ruler, swinging it wildly.
"Surrender your life!" Hu Ma bellowed. A Shousui man of his skill had no reason to take such an opponent seriously, and he charged directly with his knife, intending to slice him in two with a single stroke.
Unexpectedly, the swing fell short by two finger-widths. The wind from the blade whipped the craftsman's hair, but the knife didn't connect.
Huh?
Even Hu Ma was astonished. His second strike immediately followed, aimed precisely at the craftsman's waist.
Surprisingly, though the attack made the craftsman's face pale with fright, it still missed.
"Godmother, Master Shou, come help!"
The one-eyed craftsman, having evaded two fatal blows, was now even more terrified. As the effects of the Four Ghosts Salute gradually wore off him, he waved the ruler in his hand with increasing desperation, retreating as he did so, trying to regroup with the other two. Godmother Cui and the scar-faced old man, not daring to delay, rushed forward to support him, cursing furiously.
Is it that ruler?
Although Hu Ma was a Shousui man, he wasn't just swinging blindly.
Two consecutive misses made him quickly realize something was amiss. Both strikes had been well-aimed; there was no reason for them to fail.
The reason, then, was simple: the ruler in the opponent's hand.
The ruler seemed to possess some demonic characteristic; when swung, it muddled one's perception of the surroundings. What appeared to be a three-foot distance was actually four feet, and though a strike seemed certain to land, it would fall short by a finger-width.
Is this craftsman from the Haishou Sect?
He had heard that some in the Haishou Path excelled at refining artifact treasures.
A ruler was typically used for measuring length and width, but in their hands, it became a tool to distort the perception of distance.
Seeing that he hadn't managed to kill the craftsman while the Four Ghosts Salute was active, and with Godmother Cui and Master Shou now approaching him, Hu Ma knew he couldn't delay. He understood that if the three of them surrounded him, despite his close-combat advantages as a Shousui man, he might not be a match for these three demon people.
He immediately withdrew the knife, pressed both hands hard against his ribs, and his voice erupted like spring thunder, "ROAR!"
Five Thunders Golden Toad Roar!
Since his perception was muddled by the ruler, he decided to abandon his knife.
This roar borrowed the power of the Five Organs, refined by a Shousui man.
Each organ contributed a transformation, and with all Five Organs resonating, a single fierce roar contained five transformations—the five thunders combined into one.
The craftsman, relying on his ruler, had thought he could escape Hu Ma's pursuit, but he was caught off guard by the sudden, overwhelming roar.
At such close range, an inch more or less made little difference. The craftsman took the full force of the shout. He froze on the spot, blood slowly seeping from his eyes, ears, nose, and mouth.
His body slowly collapsed, dying without warning.
If an autopsy were performed, one would find his internal organs shattered and his eardrums ruptured.
A renowned demon person from Pingnan Road, slain by a single roar.
And it wasn't just him. Even Godmother Cui, who had just rushed over, was sent staggering back several steps, her ears ringing, a violent turmoil churning within her. Dizzy and nauseous, she was unable to speak for a long moment.
Master Shou, however, though also pushed back a few steps, promptly advanced again, his hands clasped behind his back, his expression arrogant and stern.
He called out, "Well done, young man! Is this the power of the Five Organs of a Shousui man? Daring to rush in alone, you certainly have courage. Allow this old master to test you!"
So the Five Thunders Golden Toad Roar is this powerful! It can kill someone at close range!
Even Hu Ma was taken aback. He typically held back, reluctant to use the power of his Five Organs. Only now did he realize that the trump cards of the Shousui Path were each unique and formidable, not only effective against evil spirits but also exceptionally potent against humans. He realized he hadn't fully grasped or mastered the myriad uses of this trump card before.
But there was no time for further reflection. Seeing the scar-faced old man standing before him with an arrogant demeanor, blocking his path, his voice full of haughtiness, a fierce resolve ignited in Hu Ma's heart.
Test your uncle! This Shopkeeper came here to kill…
But while cursing inwardly, he maintained a solemn expression and said, "So an expert is present. In that case, this young one shall make a humble display."
As he spoke, he respectfully performed a salute. Yin qi erupted around him silently, pressing forward. He had used the Four Ghosts Salute outside the woods earlier, so these people likely hadn't seen it. Now was the perfect time to use it on this old man.
"Good lad!"
Seeing Hu Ma unexpectedly perform a salute, the composed old man was visibly startled. He had initially intended to commend the young man for his manners, but why resort to such insidious tricks immediately?
SWOOSH!
The hands he had kept behind his back suddenly shot out. A white shadow flickered, and a white bone whip, adorned with Bone Fragments, lashed straight for Hu Ma's neck. He had been concealing the white bone whip behind his back.
Sly old bastard!
Hu Ma cursed inwardly. The Four Ghosts Salute was not yet fully unleashed, but the whip was already about to coil around his neck. He had no time to complete the technique. His left hand instantly transformed into death, grabbing the whip. He pulled it towards himself and swung his knife at the old man's head.
"Such solid skills!"
Unexpectedly, even as he faced Hu Ma's powerful strike, the scar-faced old man still found a moment to offer praise.
Then, unperturbed, his palm moved in a swift circle, not only deflecting the force of the blow but also attempting to grab the back of Hu Ma's knife.
This old man is also an expert?
Hu Ma's shock intensified. The demon people of Pingnan Road were truly formidable. As a Shousui man, Hu Ma usually had the upper hand in close combat, unless his opponent was also a Shousui man or one of the negative spirit people. Otherwise, few could match him at close range.
Yet, this short, stout, scar-faced old man had managed to withstand his attack and prevent him from gaining any advantage.
Hu Ma was greatly surprised. He flipped his blade, aiming to slice at the old man's waist.
But at that very instant, as his left hand gripped the opponent's whip, he suddenly sensed something was wrong. His left hand had already transformed into death and was impervious to toxic corpse qi or physical injury.
However, upon grabbing this whip, he immediately felt the vital flame within his body being continuously drained, his cultivation weakening.
It felt somewhat like being struck by paper money, though the rate at which his cultivation diminished wasn't as fast.
The old man, facing Hu Ma's ferocious close-quarters knife attack, wore a grim expression and sneered, "Feeling the power now?"
"This Longevity Whip of mine specifically targets a person's lifespan."
"Did you truly believe that your Shousui Path was invincible at close range, that no one could counter you?"
"If this old master hadn't violated certain taboos, I would have entered the prefecture long ago. I haven't fought in years. Encountering a young brat like you is a perfect chance to see if my skills have deteriorated!"
Suddenly hearing this, even Hu Ma was inwardly shocked. This old man is on the verge of entering the prefecture?
Indeed, in the jianghu, one must never underestimate anyone…